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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27849506">A Quarantine Christmas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Never_Stop_Dreaming/pseuds/Never_Stop_Dreaming'>Never_Stop_Dreaming</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Black Friday Starkid, TGWDLM Starkid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Ethan Green, COVID 19, Christmas, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Like, Quarantine, bisexual Lex Foster, lesbian Alice Woodward, lots of fluff, pansexual Deb, so much my dude, socially distant, they’re all gay basically, they’re all just cute okay, what Are tags? Idk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:06:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27849506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Never_Stop_Dreaming/pseuds/Never_Stop_Dreaming</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alice, Deb, Lex, and Ethan used to all meet up every year for a Christmas party.</p>
<p>Are they going to let Quarantine stop them from having their tradition?</p>
<p>Hell no.</p>
<p>Welcome to a socially-distant Christmas Party</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alice Woodward/Deb, Alice/Deb TGWDLM, Lex Foster/Ethan Green</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Quarantine Christmas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TW: Extreme Fluff</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Back when they were all in Hatchetfield, Alice threw a Christmas party every year for her small group of high school friends.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb, Lex, and Ethan would all get together to spend the night at Alice’s house. They would exchange small presents, curl up on blankets and pillows with cups of hot chocolate, and just hang out together, chatting and bantering back and forth. It was a chance for them to escape their lives with all its problems and worries and a chance just to chill together. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After graduating high school, Alice left for college in New York, and Deb got into a liberal arts school in California. Despite the separation, the two had managed to maintain a long distance relationship over the year, FaceTiming every night and visiting each other over long weekends and breaks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan and Lex had both chosen to attend a community college in hopes of bettering their futures. They wanted to get a degree there, then go on to a proper college if they had the money saved up to. They both moved into a little apartment together in Hatchetfield, and were happy as far as Alice could tell from the texts they shared back and forth and the occasional phone call.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The group had planned that when they left for college, they would still get together during that time of year for their annual Christmas party. It would be a way for them to stay together, to hold onto those happy memories.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then Covid hit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Things became harder. Deb couldn’t fly over anymore during breaks and long weekends to visit, and they didn’t FaceTime every day like they used to. Lex and Ethan became busier, trying to pick up extra work to ensure they could still pay rent on the apartment, meaning they had even less time to talk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And Alice was lonely. All alone in New York.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Quarantine had stretched for nine months. The group had texted and called and FaceTimed every once in a while, but it wasn’t the same. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Yet somehow, in the midst of it all, they all found the time to get together for their little tradition.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice was sitting on the Zoom meet for about five minutes before Deb showed up. The moment she saw Deb, she burst into a large smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Deb! Oh my god!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey babe! Sorry I’m a bit late!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No worries! I’m just really happy to see you!” Alice squinted at the screen. “Are you in a hotel room?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb chuckled, glancing around her. She wasn’t sitting in her dorm, that was for sure. The walls were painted light blue, and she sat on an unnaturally white bed. Deb’s dorm room was colorful, almost dizzying in its brightness. Deb seemed almost out of place in this new room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You got me there, Allycat. Can’t ever sneak anything past you, can I?” Deb teased.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice felt a small prick of happiness at the sound of Deb’s nickname for her. She took a moment just to take Deb in; her short, curly red hair out of its usual beanie and falling freely around her face, crystal blue eyes, and an old red sweater that said, “Merry Christmas from the Gay Family Member Everybody Talks About.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss you,” Alice laughed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb cracked a half-grin, eyes shining softly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss you too, you know. I mean, look at you! You dyed your hair!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice felt her hands subconsciously come up to smooth down her now platinum-blonde hair. She had dyed it on a whim, wanting a change, and it had turned out even better than she could have ever hoped.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You like it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I love it! You look incredible! Brings out the green in your eyes more somehow.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her cheeks turned pink, which made Deb giggle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So what are you doing in a hotel room?” Alice asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb opened her mouth to answer, but before Deb got the chance to respond, Lex’s profile popped up on the screen, a selfie of her flipping off the camera.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The screen was black for a moment before Lex’s face came on, scrunched with concentration. She was sitting cross-legged in front of her and Ethan’s couch on their carpet, adjusting her computer’s camera. Her hair was tucked up under a baseball cap, and she was wearing another Christmas sweater that had snowflakes printed across the red fabric.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lex!” Deb and Alice cheered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lex waved excitedly before returning back to adjusting the camera.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I swear to God this fucking thing-“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Where’s Ethan?” Alice asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Gimme a sec!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of a clatter off screen, a male voice swearing, and Lex burst out laughing. A hand flashed on screen, waving to Alice and Deb.Then the hand quickly disappeared from the screen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He almost spilled the entire fucking thing of hot chocolate. I have no idea how I’ve put up with his dumbass for nine months straight with no break.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Me neither. You deserve a prize for that,” Deb teased. Lex nodded in mock solemnity.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn straight I do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, fuck you!” Ethan’s voice came, though there wasn’t any malice to it. “You’re no better! You take too long in the bathroom and steak all my clothes!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A moment later, Lex scooted over, taking a mug of hot chocolate as Ethan sat down beside her. He looked almost exactly how Alice remembered him, thick black curls and gray eyes. He was wearing a matching sweater, and when Deb saw this, she scoffed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god. You guys are worse than my parents,” she said, rolling her eyes. Ethan gasped dramatically, a hand going over his chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Deb, you have no right to judge us,” said Lex. “I know you used to own one of those ‘Live, Laugh, Love,’ keychains. You used to be the ultimate Karen. A true white suburban mom.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice burst into laughter, clapping a hand over her mouth to try and stifle it. Ethan pointed to the screen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You dyed your hair!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice grinned sheepishly, giving her hair an exaggerated toss. Ethan gave her finger guns, smirking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You look great! What made you decide to dye it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice shrugged. “Well, I’ve always wanted it blonde. And so I figured why not? I went by this hair place and had my roommate help me out because she’s studying hair and makeup.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan nodded, cracking a grin. “Never thought of you as a blonde. But hey, you look awesome with it!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You kinda ruined my surprise,” Lex laughed. When Alice gave her a confused look, Lex smirked, removing her baseball cap and combing her hair with her fingers. Alice gasped.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my God!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lex’s hair,which had originally been a light brown, had been dyed a shade of bright crimson. Lex grinned, ducking her head shyly into Ethan’s shoulder when Alice let out an excited noise.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoa! You look like one of those punk-rock type people!” Deb exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I was bored. So I got a thing of red hair dye and hair bleach after work and made Ethan help me,” Lex laughed, taking a sip from the mug in her hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The bathroom looked like we had committed a murder in there for like, a week,” Ethan chuckled. Lex made a noise, bringing the mug down from her lips.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry-</span>
  </em>
  <span>“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be! I think it looks badass!” He threw an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss into the side of her head. “Like Deb said! You’re like my cool, punk-rock, emo girlfriend or something like that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet it goes great with Ethan’s whole leather aesthetic,” Alice remarked, grabbing her own mug of hot chocolate.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if you’re really gonna do the whole ‘matching Christmas sweater’ thing, then Ethan needs to dye his hair too,” Deb teased. Lex, who was taking another sip from her mug, nodded enthusiastically, gulping it down quickly and bringing a hand up to play with Ethan’s curls. “That’s what I said! I’ve been trying to convince him for the last week, but he won’t budge!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan ducked away from her hand, swatting it playfully. “No! I’m not dying my hair! I don’t look good with any color except the one I have right now!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve never dyed your hair before! You have to at least try some colors!” Deb laughed. Lex gestured at the screen eagerly, and Ethan scowled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t encourage her, Deb! She’ll dye it in my sleep or something! I’ll wake up with neon green hair!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You should make him a blonde,” Alice giggled. The whole group burst out laughing at this, even Ethan.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, how have you two been dealing with quarantine, besides making Lex look like a bisexual alt girl on Tik Tok?” Deb asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>sexy </span>
  </em>
  <span>bisexual alt girl on TikTok might I add,” Ethan teased, bumping Lex lightly with his shoulder. Lex rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we’ve just been working a lot. We haven’t had a ton of time recently to just hang out. The hair dye thing was more of like, a bonding experience than anything else. But we’ve also been binge-watching old shows and playing video games.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oooooooo! What kind of games? I’ve been an Animal Crossing bitch since quarantine started,” Alice said. Deb shook her head fondly at this remark.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lex and I have been doing a lot of horror games. They’re addicting as hell. And also not always super good. One of them ended up being more of a Call-of-Duty thing than an actual horror game.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but the problem is that nothing is scary when you play with this dumbass because he does a running commentary the whole time that makes it super hard to be scared! I could never take him to the theaters to see a horror movie because we would just end up laughing the whole time,” Lex groaned. Ethan feigned shock, jostling her gently. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he dropped the act and laughed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you love it. You’ve never told me to shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Deb used to try and take me to horror films. I never made it past the first hour. I could probably use that commentary,” Alice laughed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell ya what, Alice. I’ll take you to a horror movie as soon as this whole Covid-thing is gone. Sounds like a deal?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure! I mean, why not?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They exchanged gifts that they had mailed ahead of time. Lex and Ethan gave Alice a book about advertising shows and getting funding to produce one, which nearly made Alice burst into happy tears. They gave Deb a package of two half-pound Reese cups, her favorite candy. Deb gave Alice a rose locket with Alice’s favorite picture of the two of them inside, a picture of them hugging tightly beneath a pink sky. Alice gave Lex and Ethan a set of Christmas sweaters with a picture of the bi flag on the front, snowflakes, and the print “I‘m Dreaming of a Bi Christmas,” stamped across the chests. Deb gave them a cookbook. (“Well you two can’t order pizzas for the rest of your life!” “Yeah we can! What are you gonna do, steal it every time it shows up at our door?”) Alice gave Deb a link to a playlist of Alice doing covers of various songs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They chatted for a little while longer afterwards, but things grew solemn quickly. Lex looked tired, curling up into Ethan’s side. Ethan smiled a little, pulling her closer and brushing a few red locks from her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We should probably hang up and start getting ready for bed,” he said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss you guys,” Alice said softly. Ethan gave her a crooked grin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We miss you too. Can’t wait for this whole thing to be over.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Bye Lex. Bye Ethan. Merry Christmas. Stay safe, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He waved to the camera one last time before hanging up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice sighed, running a hand over her face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss you, Deb.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb smiled a little.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I do. I miss hugging and kissing you. I miss going on stupid dates. I miss hanging out with you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss you too, babe. God, even the stuff that used to drive me crazy I miss.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Like what?” Alice asked, shifting slightly to move closer to her laptop. Deb chewed her lower lip as she thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss when you used to fuss about my fashion. I missed when you would text me all the details about your favorite TV show. I miss you constantly singing around the house. I miss those times when you would get into a writing frenzy and wouldn’t go anywhere or eat anything for days. I didn’t realize just how much I loved every part of you, even the not so great ones, until you were gone.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Silence fell. Deb spoke again after a bit, and Alice noticed she was tearing up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I’m not a perfect girlfriend. I know that it was hard on you when I was fighting my addiction to drugs. I know there were so many text messages that you sent me that I left unanswered. And I know that there were days when I hurt you, again and again. And yet you’ve stayed with me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice let out a breathless sound.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Deb, I love you. And it’s going to take a lot to get me away from you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb took a deep breath, a small smile forming on her lips.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you know why I’m in a hotel room?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice raised her head a little. Deb bit back a toothy grin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m in New York. I’m waiting for Covid test results. But if they’re negative, I’m coming to stay with you over Christmas break.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A moment of silence.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tears began to well up in Alice’s eyes. She let out a breathless laugh.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are… are you fucking with me? I swear to God, Deb, if you’re fucking with me-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I promise, I’m waiting right here for you. I have been for a few hours now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice could practically feel her heart stop in her chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m coming now. I’ll wait for your test results.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb laughed, wiping her eyes a little. Alice hung up, throwing on a jacket, grabbing a mask, and hurrying out into the cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb has texted her the room number and address of her hotel. Alice was waiting in the lobby, tapping her foot excitedly, waiting for that final text to tell her whether it was safe or not to see her. Her head was spinning with thoughts, but one remained consistent.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Deb is here.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Deb is here.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Deb is here.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her phone buzzed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Negative. Allycat, I tested negative.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice didn’t wait.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She sprinted up the stairs, down the hall, straight up to the door. She slid to a stop, panting. Her heart was pounding inside her chest so hard it nearly hurt. She took a moment to comb a hand through her hair, trying to ease it down a bit before she knocked on the door, hands shaking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It opened in an instant, and suddenly, Deb was enveloping her in a hug, lifting her off the ground and burying her face into Alice’s hair. Alice threw her arms around Deb, clinging to her tightly, tears already squeezing past her eyes and down her cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s you. Oh my God, you’re really here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice let out a watery laugh. Deb pulled her inside, closing the door and setting Alice down. She tore off Alice’s mask, throwing it aside somewhere, and kissed her, long and hard.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deb was warm and soft. Her curls tickled Alice’s face, gentle lips moving against her own. She smelled of cinnamon and the taste of hot chocolate still lingered on her lips from the party.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And it felt like Alice could breathe again for the first time in months. Like a piece of her that was missing had been found again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice was </span>
  <em>
    <span>home.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alice spent the night there. They cuddled and made out on the bed, and fell asleep to the sound of a Christmas movie playing on the TV, Alice tucked firmly into Deb’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They awoke the next morning with a groggy head, their clothing having pressed red marks into their skin. But Alice was so, unbelievably happy she couldn’t care less. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m going to be focusing a lot this month on Christmas one-shots 😂 so I’ll be taking a break from my big WIP’s. I will do follow-ups to this one, and I definitely take requests, so either comment a request down below, or shoot me an anon @virtualflowerbathlete on Tumblr!</p>
<p>Happy Holidays!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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